Handle for a vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A handle for a vacuum cleaner includes a generally rigid pipe portion connected to a generally flexible hose portion. The hose portion is fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner. The pipe portion is selectively connectable to the main body of the vacuum cleaner in the manner of a handle or releasable from the main body in the manner of a wand. The pipe portion is formed by a straight, hollow tube having no internal bends. The handle may have an upwardly extending handle portion and a gripping portion, wherein the gripping portion extends forwardly and downwardly from the handle portion so that, when the vacuum cleaner is in use in an upright mode, the gripping portion extends generally transverse to the forearm of the user. A cap may also be provided at the distal end of the rigid pipe portion, the cap being movable between a first position in which the end of the pipe portion is closed by the cap and a second position in which the end of the pipe portion is not closed by the cap.

FIELD OF INVENTION Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to a handle for a vacuum cleaner.

An upright vacuum cleaner generally comprises a cleaner head rotatablymounted to the lower end of the main body of the vacuum cleaner whichhouses the dust separation apparatus, which can take the form of a bag,a cyclonic separator, or any suitable separation apparatus. The cleanerhead has a downwardly directed dirty air inlet through which dirty airis sucked into the dust separation apparatus. This type of vacuumcleaner is often convertible between an upright mode and a cylindermode.

In the upright mode, the vacuum cleaner is moved over the surface to becleaned so that the dirty air enters the dust separation apparatus viathe dirty air inlet in the cleaner head whilst the main body is inclinedrearwardly. The vacuum cleaner comprises an upwardly extending handlewhich the user can use to move the vacuum cleaner over the surface to becleaned.

In the cylinder mode, the main body is put into an upright position anda hose or wand, which is fixedly connected to the main body of thevacuum cleaner, is used to introduce dirty air to the dust separationapparatus for above-floor cleaning.

One known type of upright vacuum cleaner, for example disclosed by BP134654, comprises a wand having a generally rigid pipe portion and agenerally flexible hose portion. The hose portion is fixedly connectedto the main body of the vacuum cleaner and the rigid pipe portion isselectively connectable to the main body of the vacuum cleaner whilstremaining in telescoping connection with the hose portion. In thecylinder mode, the rigid pipe portion is connected to the main body ofthe vacuum cleaner via the flexible hose. This allows the user to gripthe rigid pipe portion and to maneuver it freely with respect to themain body. Tools such as a nozzle or brush are attached to the distalend of the rigid pipe portion which then forms the dirty air inlet ofthe vacuum cleaner for above-floor cleaning. In the upright mode, therigid pipe portion is slid telescopically inside the hose portion andclipped to the back of the main body of the vacuum cleaner so that therigid pipe portion extends upwardly from the main body to form a handle.The user can then grasp the handle to move the cleaner head over thesurface to be cleaned.

The distal end of the rigid pipe portion is bent rearwardly towards theuser to provide a more comfortable gripping portion when the vacuumcleaner is used in the upright mode. However, such an inclined grippingportion can allow blockages to occur. Also, the rearward inclination ofthe distal end of the rigid pipe portion makes it difficult to seewhether the pipe portion is blocked and to clear any blockage when thecleaner is being used in the cylinder mode.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wand for a vacuumcleaner in which the risk of blockage is reduced and visual access toallow checking for blockages is improved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a handle for a vacuum cleaner comprisinga rigid pipe portion connected to a flexible hose portion, the hoseportion being fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner,the pipe portion being selectively connectable to the main body of thevacuum cleaner in the manner of a handle or releasable from the mainbody in the manner of a wand and having a free distal end and a proximalend, the distal end forming a dirty air inlet of the vacuum cleaner,characterised in that the pipe portion is formed by a straight, hollowtube having no internal bends between the free distal end and theproximal end.

Since the rigid pipe portion is formed by a straight, hollow tube, it ispossible to see down the pipe portion to check whether it is blocked.This can easily be done by detaching the rigid pipe portion from theflexible hose portion and holding the pipe portion up to the light.Since there are no internal bends in the pipe portion, light will passthrough the pipe portion if it is not blocked. Furthermore, since thedirty air flows along a straight path, there is less risk of blockage.

Preferably, the handle has an upwardly extending handle portion and agripping portion extending forwardly and downwardly from the handleportion so that, when the vacuum cleaner is in use in an upright mode,the gripping portion extends generally transverse to the forearm of theuser. The handle can then be gripped by the user so that the hand, wristand lower arm are in alignment and are not twisted as in theconventional arrangement. The vacuum cleaner can then be moved backwardsand forwards over the surface to be cleaned in the normal way but thisis achieved by a “sawing” action which produces less strain on the wristand is more comfortable for the user.

The gripping portion, preferably, extends forwardly and downwardly at anacute angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle portion so that, inuse, the gripping portion is approximately horizontal which causes lesstwist on the wrist and hence less strain.

The rigid pipe portion of the above mentioned vacuum cleaner comprises ahollow tube into which objects can drop and possibly cause a blockage.Furthermore, improper use of the wand can cause injury and any domesticappliance is at risk of improper use, for example, by children. Theexposed open end of the rigid pipe portion of the wand can beparticularly dangerous.

Therefore, the present invention further seeks to overcome thesedisadvantages by providing a handle for a vacuum cleaner comprising arigid pipe portion connected to a flexible hose portion, the hoseportion being fixedly connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner,the pipe portion being selectively connectable to the main body of thevacuum cleaner in the manner of a handle or releasable from the mainbody in the manner of a wand, characterized in that a cap is provided atthe distal end of the pipe portion, the cap being movable between afirst position in which the end of the pipe portion is closed by the capand a second position in which the end of the pipe portion is not closedby the cap.

The closure of the distal end of the pipe portion by the cap helps toprevent objects dropping into the pipe and to minimise the risk ofinjuries through improper use.

Preferably, the cap is pivotally attached to the pipe portion.

The wand may comprise a device for hanging the vacuum cleaner from awall so that the vacuum cleaner can be easily stored away. The hangingdevice may be in the form of a hook and may also be integral with thecap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention will now be described and fully explainedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 illustrates a vacuum cleaner having a handle according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the handle, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the handle, of FIG. 1 with the cap shown inthe closed position; and

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the handle, of FIG. 1 with the cap shown inits open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in more detail withreference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

The vacuum cleaner 100 comprises a cleaner head 1 rotatably mounted tothe lower end of the main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 100. The mainbody 3 houses dust separating apparatus in the form of a dust bag,cyclonic separator, etc. A pair of wheels 5 are also mounted at thelower end of the main body 3 via a motor casing 6 from which the cleanerhead 1 extends in a forward direction.

The cleaner head 1 has a dirty air inlet 7 located at its forward endand facing downwardly so that, in use in an upright mode, the dirty airinlet 7 contacts a surface to be cleaned and dirty air enters thecleaner head I via the dirty air inlet 7 before being conducted to thedust separating apparatus (not shown). A wand 9 is releasably attachedto the rear side of the main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 100. The wand9 can be detached from the main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 100 andextended for use in a cylinder mode in which the distal end of the wand9 becomes the active dirty air inlet. Means are provided for shuttingoff the dirty air inlet in the cleaner head 1 when it is used in thecylinder mode.

The wand 9 comprises a rigid pipe portion 10 and a flexible hose portion10″. The proximal end 10′ of the rigid pipe portion 10 is slidably andreleasably connected to one end of a flexible hose portion 10″ to allowtelescopic sliding of the pipe portion 10 within the hose portion. Theother end of the flexible hose portion 10″ is fixedly connected to thelower end of the main body 3 of the vacuum cleaner. The pipe portion 10and hose portion together provide an air flow path into the dustseparation apparatus when the vacuum cleaner is used in a cylinder mode.The pipe portion 10 of the wand 9 consists of a straight, hollow tubehaving no internal bends. This reduces the risk of blockage and alsoallows the user to look down the pipe 10 in case of a blockage and toremove the blockage by introducing an elongate tool into the pipeportion from one end. The absence of any internal bends allows this.

The pipe portion 10 extends upwardly from the main body of the vacuumcleaner to form a handle 11 when the vacuum cleaner 100 is to be used inits upright mode. The handle 11 comprises a gripping portion 12 whichextends forwardly and downwardly from the distal end of the pipe portion10 at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the pipe portion 10.The gripping portion 12 comprises an outer portion 13 having a curvedouter surface and an inner portion 15. The gripping portion 12 is shapedso as to be comfortable for a user gripping the gripping portion 12. Alower portion 16 of the handle 11 extends from the forward end of thegripping portion 12 downwardly and rearwardly to attach the grippingportion 12 of the handle 11 to the pipe portion at a point approximatelymidway between the distal end of the pipe portion 10 and the top of themain body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 100. The lower portion 16 braces thegripping portion and provides strength and stability thereto.

In the upright cleaning mode, the wand 9 is clipped to the main body 3of the vacuum cleaner 100 so that the rigid pipe portion 10 extendsupwardly from the main body 3 as shown in the FIGS. The gripping portion12 of the handle 11 is grasped by the user and the main body 3 of thevacuum cleaner 100 is tilted rearwardly towards the user and away fromthe cleaner head 1. In this position, the pipe portion 10 lies beneaththe gripping portion 12 and the gripping portion 12 is approximatelyhorizontal. The user moves the vacuum cleaner in a forward and backwarddirection over the surface to be cleaned. This corresponds to a “sawing”action and the hand, wrist and lower arm of the user are in alignment,which causes less strain on the wrist than many known arrangements. Themain body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 100 can be laid flat on the ground. Inthis horizontal position, the gripping portion 12 extends upwardly fromthe pipe portion 10 and, therefore, the vacuum cleaner can easily belifted by grasping the gripping portion 12. This is advantageous forelderly and disabled users.

A cap 17 is pivotably attached to the distal end of the pipe portion 10at a pivot point 25 on either side of the pipe portion 10. The pivotpoints 25 are located beneath the point at which the gripping portion 12is attached to the pipe portion 10. The cap 17 comprises an outer curvedsurface 19 remote from the pivot points 25 and two side walls 20. Theside walls 20 each extend downwardly from the curved surface 19 to therespective pivot point 25 on either side of the rigid pipe portion 10.The outer curved surface 19 is longer than the end of the pipe portion10 so that, when in the closed position illustrated in FIG. 3, thecurved surface 19 extends rearwardly over the top of the distal end 27of the pipe portion 10 and beyond the pipe portion 10 to form a recess29 which forms a hook for hanging the vacuum cleaner on a wall. Biasingmeans (not shown) such as a spring or resilient strip, urge the cap 17into the closed position. The cap 17 in its closed position, as shown inFIG. 3, covers the remote end of the wand 9 to prevent objects droppingdown into the wand 9 and also to reduce the risk of injury throughimproper use. The hook 29 enables the vacuum cleaner 100 to be hung froma wall.

In the cylinder mode, the wand 9 is released from the main body 3 of thevacuum cleaner 100. The cap 17 is tilted rearwardly away from the open,distal end 27 of the wand 9 to expose the dirty air inlet. Accessorytools 31 can then be attached to the wand 9. The accessory tools 31 mayinclude a nozzle 33, a circular brush 35 or a crevice tool 37. Attachinga tool, as required, to the open end 27 of the wand 9 forms the dirtyair inlet of the vacuum cleaner 100 and retains the cap 17 in the openposition.

The accessory tools 31 can be stored on top of the dust separatingapparatus of the vacuum cleaner 100 so that they are easily accessible.Alternatively, they can be stored on top of the cleaner head 1. Thetools 31 may be stored on corresponding sockets or pegs or held byclips.

In the light of this disclosure, modifications of the describedembodiments as well as other embodiments, all within the scope of theappended claims will now become apparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a body; aseparating apparatus housed in the body; a cleaner head rotatablymounted on the body; and a wand comprising a flexible hose having afirst end and a second end, the first end of the flexible hose beingfixedly connected to the body, and a rigid pipe portion having a firstend and a second end, the second end of the flexible hose being slidablyconnected to said pipe portion, the rigid pipe portion formed by astraight, hollow tube having no internal bends, wherein the first end ofthe rigid pipe portion is releasably connected to the body such that thesecond end of the rigid pipe portion extends upwardly from the body soas to form a handle of the vacuum cleaner when the vacuum cleaner isused in a first mode, and wherein the first end of the rigid pipeportion is configured to be released from the body such that the secondend of the rigid pipe portion forms an airflow inlet when the vacuumcleaner is used in a second mode.
 2. The vacuum cleaner according toclaim 1, wherein the pipe portion comprises a handle portion at thesecond end of said pipe portion and a gripping portion extendingforwardly and downwardly from the second end of said pipe portion. 3.The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the gripping portionextends forwardly and downwardly at an acute angle to a longitudinalaxis of the handle portion.
 4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1,further comprising a cap located at the second end of the pipe portion,the cap being movable between a first position in which the second endof the pipe portion is closed by the cap and a second position in whichthe second end of the pipe portion is not closed by the cap.
 5. Thevacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the cap is pivotablyattached to the pipe portion.
 6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim4, wherein the cap is biased into one of the first and second positions.7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the cap is biasedinto the first position.
 8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4,wherein the cap incorporates hook means for allowing the vacuum cleanerto be hung up.
 9. A handle for a vacuum cleaner comprising a rigid pipeportion connected to a flexible hose portion at a proximal end, theflexible hose portion being fixedly connected to a main body of a vacuumcleaner, the pipe portion being selectively connectable to the main bodyof the vacuum cleaner as a handle attached to the main body or as a wandwhen released from the main body, and a cap located at a distal end ofthe pipe portion, the cap being movable between a first position inwhich the distal end of the pipe portion is closed by the cap and asecond position in which the distal end of the pipe portion is notclosed by the cap.
 10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, whereinthe cap is pivotably attached to the pipe portion.
 11. The vacuumcleaner according to claim 9, wherein the cap is biased into one of thefirst and second positions.
 12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9,wherein the cap incorporates hook means for allowing the vacuum cleanerto be hung up.